Drilling apparatus



arch 3l, 1936. Tc. l.. WALKER 2,035,852

DRILLING APPARATUS original Filed May 11, 1952 Patented Mar. 31, 1936 .i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRILLING APPARATUS Clinton L. Walker, Piedmont, Calif.

Original application May 11, 1932, Serial No.

610,633. Divided and this application November 7, 1933, Serial No. 696,967

4 Claims. (C1. 2155-74)v This application is a division of my coi-pendingr drilling stem II and in removing the same from application entitled Deep well drilling and coring the drilling stem. system, filed May 11, 1932, and bearing Serial The collapsible drilling bit I2 may be con- No. 610,633, Patent No. 1,996,132, issued April 2, structed in the manner illustrated and described 5 1935. in my Patent No. 1,978,119, issued October 23, 5

The invention relates t deep Well drilling 1934. In general, this bit llClll'deS a bit bOdy I4, equipment an-d particularly pertains to an apwhich is of a diameter enabling it to be passed paratus for positioning and removing collapsible downwardly through the drill stem. 'Ihis bit drilling bits at the lower end of the drill stem body carries two pivotal blades I which may be lo while the latter remains in the well bore. relatively pOSitiOIled S0 that thei7 will Dass downl0 In my Patent No. 1,978,119, issued October 23, wardly through the drill stem but which are ca- 1934, I have described and claimed an improved pable of extending outwardly at the lower end drilling bit which may be run in through the of the drilling Stem When in drilling DOSitiOndrilling stem and readily assembled on the lower These two blades I5 are connected to a toggle .t5 end thereof sol that the proper weight may be mechanism and to a trip member I1 which is l5 imposed on, and proper torque applied to, the bit reciprocally mounted in the upper end of the bit to effect the drilling operation. The bit is also body I2. Upward movement of this trip member capable of being disconnected from the drill stem I'I relative to the bit body I2 causes the blades while the same remains' in the bore and removed l5 to be moved about their pivotal point and upwardly through the drilling stem, withdrawn to a position enabling them to pass 20 It is the principal object of my present invenuDWardly thl'Ough the drill Stem. When this tion to provide an improved apparatus for use in member I I is released, springs I8 tend constantly expeditiously running in a bit of the character to expand the blades to a drilling position. referred to downwardly through a drill stem and Seme dilieulty has been experienced in lOWer- 'g5 positioning it for operation at the lower end ing a COllapSible bit Such aS here illustrated 25 thereof, said apparatus being also capableof use dOWuWardly through the drill Stem, due to the fact in operatively engaging the bit when the latter that the latter is usually filled when in the bore is connected to the drill stem to disconnect the With a heavy mud uid Which muSt be displaced bit from the drin stem and withdraw it upwards by the bit as it passes downwardly through the 1y through the stem, stem. For this reason I have provided the ap- 30 Incarrying the invention into practice, 1 proparatus described in the present application vide a piston-like member which reciprocaiiy nts which includes a piston-like member I9. having the interior of the drill stem so that it may be a cup leather 20 at its upper end- I contemplate readily passed downwardly through the drill stem inserting thiS DiStOn-like member i9 llltO the by fluid pressure exerted against its upper end drill stem immediately following the insertion of 35 and thereby position a bit at the lower end of the the Collapsible bit l2 and then, by means 0f luid stem. The piston-like member referred to is pressure Created by Dumps 0n the Surface, fOrCe equipped with a mechanism for operatively enthe PiStOn-like member i9 -dOWnWardlY thrOugh gaging a collapsible bit while the latter is asthe drill Stein and COIlSequently fOI'Ce the C01- lo sembled at the lower end of the drilling stem to lapSible bit l2 dOWnWardly thrOugh the drill Stem- 40 'disengage the same from the drill stem and with- It will be noticed that the piston-like member draw it upwardly through the drill stem, I9 is provided with a transverse slot in its lower One form which the invention may assume is end, and mounted within this slot is a pair of exemplified in the following description and illustongs 2l The tongs 2l consist of a pair 0f Pivotal trated by way of example in the accompanying jaws 22 pivoted about atransverse pintle 23. The 45 drawing in which the ligure is a fragmentary ends of this pintle 23 are secured in the pistonview, in central vertical section, through a drill like member i9, aS illuStrated- The upwardly eX- stem showing a collapsible bit mounted therein tending armS 24 0f the jaWS 22 extend upwardly with my improved apparatus also mounted in the within the piston-like member I9 and are constem for operation. nected at their upper ends to a pull rod 25 through 50 Referring more particularly to the accompanythe medium of toggle links 26. A pair of springs ing drawing, I!) indicates a well bore within which 21 are also arranged within the piston-like mema drill stem II is positioned. My present invenber I9 and are connected at their upper ends to tion is particularly concerned with positioning a the lower end of the trip rod 25 and at their lower collapsible drilling bit I2 at the lower end of the ends to the pintle 23. These springs constantly 55 urge the jaws 22 apart. But, however, when the tension of these springs 21 is overcome by an upward pull on the trip rod 25, the jaws 22 are moved toward each other to an engaging position. 'Ihe jaws 22 are so formed that when they are moved into engaging position they will engage a knob 28 formed at the upper end of the trip member I1 and thereby form an operative connection between the piston-like member I9 and the collapsible drilling bit I2.

It will be noticed that the lower extremity of the piston-like member I9 is slightly in advance of the lower extremity of the jaws 22 so that the lower end of the piston-like member will abut the upper end of the bit body I4 of the collapsible bit I2. Therefore, when fluid pressure is 'exerted at the upper end of the piston-like member I9, the pressure will be transmitted to the collapsible drilling bit I2 by reason of the engagement of the piston with the upper end of the bit'body.

The upper end of the piston-like member I9 is provided with circulating ports 29 which are ccntrolled by a valve 30 formed as a part of the trip rod 25. When the tongs 22 are disengaged from the trip member I'I, the valve 30 is seated preventing fluid from passing downwardly from the piston-like member I9. However, when the trip member 25 is moved upwardly to form an operative connection between the piston-like member I9 and the collapsible drilling bit I2 through the medium of the tongs 2| and the trip member I'I, the valve member 30 is unseated, enabling iiuid to pass freely downwardly through the pistonlike member I9. This reduces the resistance of the fluid in the drill stem above the piston-like member I9 to the upward movement of the piston when withdrawing the piston through the drill stem; that is to say, in withdrawing the piston from the drill stem, it is unnecessary to lift the entire uid column in advance of it.

For operating the trip rod 25, it may be connected at its upper end to a cable or other line 3|. To enable the piston I9 to be withdrawn upwardly through the drill stem without operating the tongs 2 I, the piston is connected to a second cable or 'line 32 by the medium of an eye-bolt 33, which is connected to the upper end of the piston at an eccentric point.

In operation of the device, assuming that the drill stem is positioned in the well bore with a collapsible vdrilling bit vat the lower end thereof and it is desired to replace the bit, the piston-like member is connected to the cables 2I and 32 and inserted into the drilling stem. Pump pressure is then built up in the drilling stem above the piston-like member I9, and by means of this pressure, the piston-like member I9 is forced downwardly until it engages the upper end of the body of the collapsible drilling bit I2. At this point an upward ypull is exerted on the cable 3| which moves the trip rod 25 upwardly relative to the piston-like member I9. This movement moves the jaws 22 to engaging position, engaging the under side of the knob 28 of the trip member II of the drilling bit I2. A continued upward pull on the cables 3| and 32 then moves the trip member I'I of the bit upwardly relative to the bit body I4. This is accompanied by collapsing of the bit, and as the bit collapses, theentire bit will move upwardly inthe drill stem, together with the piston-like member I9. The bit may then be entirely withdrawn from the drill stem and a new bit inserted into the drill stem.

After the new bit has been inserted, the pistonlike member I9 is again inserted into the upper end of the drill stem and pump pressure created to force the same, together with the bit I2, downwardly through the stem. When the bit reaches the proper point, it will expand as described in my patent above referred to, and form a weightsustaining and torque-transmitting connection between the bit and the drill stem. An upward pull is then exerted on the cable 32 to elevate the piston i9 in the drill stem an amount suii'icient to prevent engagement of the tongs 2| with the trip member I'I. A pull may then be exerted on the vcable 3l to move the valve 30 to open position so as to minimize the resistance of the fluid in the drill stem to the upward movement of the piston.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an improved apparatus for positioning a collapsible drilling bit in the lower end of the drill stem while the same remains in the well bore, and disconnecting such a bit from the drill stem and removing it upwardly through the drill stem.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes maybe made in its construction without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is- 1. In a well drilling organization including co1- lapsible rotary tools capable of passing through a drill stern, a hydraulic piston tting the interior of the drill stem' and movable co-axially therein, and means carried by said piston and operable from the upper end of the drill stem while the piston is at the lower end thereof yto form a detachable connection between the same and the rotary tools.

2. In a well drilling organization including collapsible rotary tools kcapable of passing through a drill stem, a hydraulic piston fitting the interior of the drill stem and movable therein, and means carried by said piston to detachably connect the same with rotary tools, said means being operative from the mouth of the bore when the piston is adjacent the lower end of the drill stem.

3. In a well drilling organization including collapsible rotary tools capable of passing through a drill stem, a piston tting the interior of the drill stern and movable co-axially therein, tong means carried by the piston and operative from the mouth of the well to connect the piston to or disconnect the piston from a rotary tool in the lower end of the drill stem.

4. In combination with a hollow drill stem, a collapsible bit capable of being passed through the drill stem and operatively assembled on the drill stem at the lower end thereof, a hydraulic piston tting the interior of the drill stem, and means carried by said piston for connecting it with and disconnecting it from said bit while the latter is at the lower end of the drill stem for collapsing said bit and withdrawing the same upwardly through the drill stem together with the piston.

CLINTON L. WALKER. 

